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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115242">Friends in High Places</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Chemical_Avocado/pseuds/My_Chemical_Avocado'>My_Chemical_Avocado</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Sleepy Bois Inc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bird Hybrid Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Family Dynamics, Gen, Human TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), King Phil, Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Wilbur Soot, Prince Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Prince TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Prince Wilbur Soot, Protective Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Twins Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, sbi royalty au, techno and wilbur are both like 17, tommy is like 13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 01:01:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,652</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115242</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Chemical_Avocado/pseuds/My_Chemical_Avocado</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tommy was just 13 when he was kicked out of his home and sentenced to a life on the streets, but he wasn't about to let that stop him.  He may be at rock bottom of the social hierarchy in his kingdom, but he was the Great Tommyinnit, and he could do anything.  Even worm his way into the royal family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Technoblade &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot &amp; Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade, Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot &amp; Technoblade &amp; TommyInnit &amp; Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>534</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well this was it, he was on his own, facing the world, ready for anything.  He was well and truly fucked.  </p>
<p>After the first hour or so of panicking and nearly breaking down crying (nearly - Tommyinnit didn't cry) Tommy decided he had to figure out some sort of plan, unless he wanted to be stranded on the outskirts of the kingdom with no choice but to spend the cold early-spring night sleeping on cobblestone paved roads.  He doubted he could get a room at an inn.  Not only were his torn rags for clothes sure to make any shopkeeper turn him away, he was clearly below any sort of legal age to buy a room for himself, not to mention had no money to buy a room in the first place.  Any sort of 24-hour establishment was sure to not allow children in alone, or to stay for the full 24 hours.  His best bet would be to sneak into the back of a closed restaurant or appliance store and simply hope all the workers had gone home.</p>
<p>That would be, if he were a normal commoner kid.  Tommy was anything but.</p>
<p>He knew the in's and out's of the kingdom, and how to get to the castle in under half an hour.  It was just about 8 P.M. now, which meant the guards would be switching posts just as he arrived.  Normally, the guards were air-tight in their shift-changes, not allowing for a moment of weakness in the walls they protected.  But that involved every single guard being in constant high-alert mode, and while they were well trained and ready to fight at any given moment, unless the kingdom was in distress or war, their protective ranks often tended to give a little slack.  Just enough for Tommy to perfectly fit in through a hole dug under a wall in a courtyard right under the youngest prince's bedroom.  From there, he was a simple 30 foot climb away (one filled with missing stones and balconies that made it much more bearable) from the grand glass windows and concrete balcony of the young prince.</p>
<p>Just a simple <em> tap tap tap </em> and then there were footsteps, the curtains swing open, the glass door after that, and before he knew it Tommy was face to face with-</p>
<p>"Tommy!  What are you doing here!  We agreed to meet up again on Monday!  It's Wednesday!  I literally just saw you last night, why are you here?  Did anyone see you?"</p>
<p>Tommy folded his arms and tapped his foot as he waited for the berating from his friend to be over.  He gasped a bit as the young prince grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into the grand room, stumbling a bit so that he didn't fall flat on his face.  Not that falling on his face would have been all that bad, considering the gigantic fluffy rug that covered the majority of floor space in the bedroom, but Tommy still preferred to stay on his feet.</p>
<p>"Good to see you too Wilbur!  How nice to see you again, bestest friend ever!  Oh, I'm so glad I get to see you again, I missed you Wilbur!"  Tommy grumbled in retaliation.  He didn't really miss Wilbur (at least that's what he told himself), he was the great Tommyinnit, he missed no one, but he hoped it made Wilbur feel just a bit worse.  </p>
<p>"What are you doing here Tommy?  Something's wrong, I can tell.  What happened?"</p>
<p>"Well you see, funny story actually!  I just got a bit uh, thrown-to-the-out.  You know how it is, parent's get mad at you, can't pay to feed you anymore, it's a tough world out there for a growing man like myself!  By the way, you should really talk to your dad about the whole e-cono-my.  We weren't the only ones struggling, my dear friend, but it's okay because I'm here now!  And I kind of need to stay here for awhile, cause you see, I don't really have anywhere else to go.  Unless you have some suggestions?  I'm open to options that don't involve seeing your face so much it makes me sick."</p>
<p>Wilbur would have acted exasperated, would've shoved Tommy around a bit and fought back with insults of his own, if he weren't so shocked about the massive news Tommy had dropped seemingly nonchalantly.  </p>
<p>"You - what?  You got thrown out?  Like- like, you're homeless now?"  Wilbur didn't seem to catch on that every sentence he added on that repeated Tommy's new situation made the younger increasingly more uncomfortable.  Tommy shrunk back a bit, before quickly lashing back with a shout that he didn't care.  That was how Wilbur realized he absolutely did.  </p>
<p>"I just need to stay here until I figure something else out, big man.  C'mon, you can do that for me, right?  I mean, I did go to all the trouble to sneak in here, you might as well repay me for it."</p>
<p>"I don't know, are you sure there's absolutely nowhere else you could go?  What about another family member?  Don't you know literally anyone else in the entire kingdom?  I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be here that long, you'll get caught."</p>
<p>"Wow, you really don't know what it's like out there!  Things aren't that easy out in the real world, Big W! Sure, up here in the good part of country you're all rich and powerful, but it's not like that all the way through!  Some of us only have our homes, and now I don't even have that so I really just need you to let me stay here for awhile.  C'mon, we can have a sleepover and braid each other's hair, or whatever it is you rich people do."</p>
<p>Wilbur almost snickered at the comment, if it weren't for the dire situation.  He looked at the walls, turning in place and studying his room as if he had never seen it before.  After a moment of Wilbur thinking, and Tommy silently hoping, Wilbur sighed.  Tommy almost felt himself collapse as his braced himself for what was surely going to be rejection.</p>
<p>"Fine.  You can stay."</p>
<p>Tommy grinned, he started jumping and punched the air with his fist in a massive self celebration.</p>
<p>"But!  You have to stay in here!  No leaving this room!  I don't want you to get caught, we'll both be in deep shit if that happens."</p>
<p>"Oh come on!  I won't get caught!  If I can sneak into this castle all the damn time I can sneak around it just as well."</p>
<p>"You only know how to get in here because I taught you, don't forget.  Promise me, Tommy, that you'll stay in this room until we figure this out more.  I'll bring you everything you need, and I'll be in here most of the time anyway.  You have to promise me."</p>
<p>Tommy hesitated for a moment.  He was a free soul!  He was not one to willingly confine himself to a single room.  Even if the room was massive, and he got to share it with his best friend.  </p>
<p>"Fine, I promise.  Dickhead.  Now can I go to sleep?  Been a long day."</p>
<p>Wilbur nodded, ruffling Tommy's hair a bit (much to Tommy's displeasure).  He led Tommy over to his bed, saying he could take it for the night.  He offered Tommy some pajamas to change into, which were a bit big on him considering they were meant to fit Wilbur and Tommy, being nearly five years younger, was a bit shorter, but Tommy took them anyway and changed in the walk-in closet that was nearly as big as the bedroom it was meant to compliment.</p>
<p>While he waited for Tommy to get situated and accustomed to the new setting, Wilbur brought out his acoustic guitar, which he had been playing before he was interrupted by this surprise visit, and went back to picking at the strings as he tried to struggle out some sort of song.  It didn't take long for Tommy to fall asleep.  Encased in the massive bed and fluffy sheets, soft atmosphere, and hearing Wilbur strum away in the background, it was harder to stay awake than it was to just drift off.</p>
<p>Wilbur was up for longer.  He barely slept the entire night.  Maybe it was the anxiety.  The fear over what was to come, how he would deal with Tommy's new situation and how they would figure anything out.  And also deep down knowing Tommy could never keep that promise, even if he intended to when he made it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy likes to sneak around.  It doesn't work out for him.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alright, fine, maybe Tommy lied just a bit.  But it wasn't like he was the only one, Wilbur lied too!  He said he would be with Tommy for most of the day, and Tommy expected the company to keep him occupied.  But Wilbur was almost never around, he was always off studying or training or doing whatever it was princes did.  Tommy got bored after awhile, of course he was going to wander around.  </p>
<p>The castle was the most grand thing Tommy had ever seen in his entire life.  Even though he had been sneaking in for years now, he had never actually seen anything outside of Wilbur's room.  The courtyard he entered through and the bedroom itself gave a pretty good idea of what the rest of the grounds looked like, but nothing could have prepared him for actually seeing it.  The tallest staircases made of marble, pillars of quartz, stained glass windows, architecture he never knew was even possible.  </p>
<p>Glancing into side rooms gave him a glimpse at the kitchen, filled with bustling cooks all too busy to notice him, their workspace filled with a magical aura and a smell that kept Tommy euphoric for hours.  He only got a second to look at the dining hall before pulling himself away as to not disrupt the servants cleaning it and getting caught, but the arched ceilings and beautifully carved long wooden tables were enough.  </p>
<p>Even almost being caught by various guards and servants wandering the halls showed him new places to explore, hidden rooms he never would have otherwise noticed, filled with weapons and armor, but not quite enough to be a full armory, convincing Tommy that that was another room that existed somewhere.  It was like the entire castle was alive, never completely quiet and swarming with life in every hallway and room and courtyard that existed.  </p>
<p>He was briefly irritated by it all, wondering to himself if the royal family spent as much money and effort on the lower class people of their land as they likely did on this massive structure, if he wouldn't have to be here in the first place.  Maybe not.  Tommy had a tendency to lie to himself and others about the real reasons bad things happened, but he wasn't stupid enough to think that money was the only reason he was in this mess.  Those feelings didn't last for long, he pushed them away in order to make room for more awe at the incredible sights.</p>
<p>Wilbur wasn't around often, but he always made sure to bring Tommy food twice a day, sometimes three times.  Tommy could barely eat it all.  It was so different from where he came from, the meals were fancier (and he only ate leftovers - he couldn't bear to think what actual freshly served meals were like) and there was so much of it!  He was used to being called lucky if he got to eat more than once, and he knew he wasn't unique in that experience.  Putting food on the table was supposed to be a struggle, he almost felt wasteful having it be thrown at him for consumption whenever he chose.  </p>
<p>Tommy always made sure to thank Wilbur at first, briefly letting his stuck-up facade and stubbornness fall to make sure Wilbur knew he genuinely did appreciate what the other was doing.  As time went on, Tommy grew more comfortable and stopped acting so sincere, once again returning to the gremlin of a child he and Wilbur both knew.  </p>
<p>As he grew more comfortable, he also got more dangerous with his exploring.  Spending more time in rooms, getting closer to servants and listening in on conversations, one time even following Wilbur around from afar just to see what he got up to in a day (it was incredibly boring, and he turned back after less than an hour).  </p>
<p>Tommy was just about to turn the corner of the hallway he was in and enter a new area of the castle when a voice from behind him grabbed his attention.</p>
<p>"Who are you?  What are you doing here?"</p>
<p>Shit, that was directed at him.  </p>
<p>Tommy whipped around, only to be met with a tall, brooding man that towered over him.  He had long, light pink but clearly very course hair that was tied into a tight braid, and was wearing a blood red cloak that trailed on the floor behind him.  His clothes underneath the cloak were fairly similar to what Tommy regularly saw Wilbur wearing, with the added addition of some loose armor and an axe hanging from his side.  The man had to be at least three feet taller than him, but looking up Tommy could see long tusks jutting out of his mouth and thin, pointy ears, just like the ones Wilbur had.</p>
<p>"Heheh heyyy big man!  How ya doing?  Nice weather up there?"  Tommy wasn't really sure what his tactic was here, but anything that could stall this interaction for longer he figured would help him.  The man above him was not impressed.</p>
<p>"Who are you?  How did you get in here?"  He asked again.  </p>
<p>"Funny story actually- you see, I was just looking for the bathroom-"</p>
<p>"It's forbidden for commoners to be in here.  I'm taking you to the king.  He will decide what to do to you."</p>
<p>Tommy gulped, and tried stalling a bit longer, but the man was having none of it.  He pulled roughly on Tommy's shoulder, dragging him along until Tommy resigned and just followed him.  Wilbur would come anyways, right?  It would all work out.  The king was his father, he would let Tommy go if Wilbur told him to.</p>
<p>It wasn't long before they had entered the most vast and impressive room Tommy had ever seen, clearly outweighing every other place in the castle, in the entire kingdom, even.  The ceiling must have been at least three stories high, and there was a large glass dome in the center that allowed light to flicker inside, lighting up every inch of space in a magnificent yellow glow.  Four large chandeliers were placed carefully around the dome, all unlit, but Tommy had a feeling that he would be speechless if he saw them alight.  Pillars lined the walls, and banners were strung from them, a beautiful mix of colors that seemed to brighten the soul by simply looking at them.  If there were a beating heart to this very alive castle, this room would be it.  </p>
<p>Along the floor ran a long red carpet, something so smooth and perfect that Tommy wondered if it had ever been stood on.  Following the carpet led his eyes up to a raised platform at the other end of the hall, nearly 100 feet away, and atop it sat a simple throne.  Compared to the rest of the room, seeing the throne almost felt like a let down.  It was bland, grayed out and not even that large.  Maybe it looked larger closer up, because two smaller thrones sat on either side of it, just as disappointing.  The thrones were nothing, but to be completely honest, that didn't matter at all to Tommy because he was far too occupied staring at who was sat on the throne.  </p>
<p>The two smaller ones were abandoned, but the middle one was suddenly made just as magnificent as the rest of their surroundings purely because of the man sitting in it.  Not a particularly brute man, he had a feeling that the man who had dragged him there could easily overpower the other in a physical fight, but his presence alone put Tommy out of breath.  There was no doubt about it - this was the king.  Wait, this was Wilbur's dad?</p>
<p>He wore long green robes, a sleek black cloak draped over his shoulders.  Tall black boots reached high on his legs, one of which had a visible knife attached to it. His sleeves dipped down past his wrists, black bands wrapped around them with a red symbol on them.  In the center of his chest, the same symbol appeared, a red heart.  On his head, rather than a crown, sat a simple green and white striped bucket hat.  As the king stood, he reached a hand up to keep his hat steady, allowing his cloak to fall off.  He stretched, yawning, and from his back protruded two massive black wings.  The entire span of them must have taken up at least half of the throne room.  Tommy couldn't help but stare with wide eyes.</p>
<p>"Techno?  What are you doing here?  Who is this?"  His voice was soft, but firm, his whole stance toughening up a bit at the sight of Tommy.  Tommy, on the other hand, was still trying to piece together the familial relations.  Not only being in the presence of his best friend's father, the king of his nation, but also that the man who brought him here was Techno.  Technoblade.  The Technoblade.  Most knew him as the feared warrior and rightful heir to the throne, but Tommy just knew him as Wilbur's twin brother.  </p>
<p>He felt eyes on him, seeing both Technoblade and the king staring at him, burning their gazes into him.  He pulled out of Technoblade's grip, but made no attempt to run, instead glaring back at them.</p>
<p>"What, can't a commoner be free to run around the castle?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wilbur goes looking for Tommy and has to get them both out of the situation Tommy got them into.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wilbur was walking down the long hallway back to his room, carrying a plate of food with him for Tommy.  He was lucky his room wasn't far from the royal dining hall, but it was still a pain carrying food up a flight of stairs, and he was happy he was in the last stretch and could even see his door.  Approaching the door, he knocked gently, and then opened it and entered his room.</p>
<p>"Tommy, you goblin, I brought you lunch.  Finished my studies early today, I was wondering if you wanted to-"</p>
<p>Wilbur cut himself off mid sentence after looking up and seeing the state of his bedroom.  It was all perfectly normal, except for one very big part of it was missing.  Tommy.  Tommy was gone.  Wilbur cursed to himself and set the plate down, quickly rushing back out into the hallway.  He figured this would happen sooner or later, but he hadn't thought about what to do when Tommy actually did leave his room.  If he got caught, Wilbur wasn't sure how he would get them out of that situation.  He thought his father would listen to him if he pleaded to let Tommy go, but doubt always rested in the back of his mind.</p>
<p>Wilbur sprinted through the hallways, being sure to knock on every door to see if Tommy was in a certain room, asking everyone he saw if they had seen a "yea tall, skinny blonde kid" running around.  Repeatedly, almost to the point of annoyance, every answer he got was no.  He was starting to wonder if Tommy was even still in the castle at all.  Surely he at least still had to be near Wilbur's room, not on the complete opposite side of the castle, but Wilbur had checked almost everywhere and there was still no signs of Tommy.  He checked the dining hall, the kitchen, the royal dining hall (reserved specifically for the royal family), even the servant's quarters, in case one of them had seen Tommy and mistook him as one of their own.  Nothing.</p>
<p>Finally, he decided there was only one option left, and of course it was the one he dreaded the most.  The throne room.  His father would be in there, and whether he found Tommy in there with him or not the outcome would not be good.  If Tommy was in there, he would have to get the little rat out of a situation he likely couldn't deal with and also save his own ass, and even if he wasn't, Wilbur would still have to admit why he was so distraught and face his father's wrath for sneaking around him with something like this.  The king was a kind man, but he didn't like to be lied to, especially by his own sons.  </p>
<p>Wilbur almost sulked to the throne room, trying to seem urgent but also wanting to delay the encounter for as long as possible.  Finally though, he did reach the grand entrance, and he finally had to face the consequences of helping his friend in a bad situation.  He thought that was a noble thing to do, he didn't see why he should be punished for it.  </p>
<p>He had barely even entered the throne room and he already knew this was where Tommy was.  He could hear shouting, his father shouting, and looking up wasn't much better.  Techno was standing at the bottom of their thrones, the king in front of him, and in Techno's arms was Tommy, desperately wriggling to try and get out of his iron grip.  What made it even worse was that almost every time Wilbur heard a pause in his father's yelling, the silence was filled by Tommy fighting back.  Wilbur wished the void could just whisk the both of them away right then.  He would never understand Tommy's mind, or why he would ever think that this was a good time to insult Wilbur's family.  </p>
<p>"Stop it!  Stop yelling, let him go!"  Wilbur finally managed to gather enough courage to run up to his family and yell at them to release Tommy.  He could see Tommy's face light up at his entrance, but Wilbur ignored him for now.  </p>
<p>"Wilbur!  A commoner got into the castle!  Did you know about this?"</p>
<p>Wilbur stopped in front of the three, out of breath, but quickly regaining it so that he could just get this over with.</p>
<p>"Yes, I did.  I'm the one who let him in.  I was hoping it wouldn't have to happen like this,"  Wilbur glared at Tommy, who rolled his eyes back, "but I guess it has to happen.  Techno, dad, meet Tommy."</p>
<p>Techno looked down at the boy in his arms, holding him away slightly but still keeping a strong hold on him so that he couldn't run away.  The king looked furious, but remained calm when he spoke.</p>
<p>"Son, you know I love you but you're really testing me right now.  I need an explanation right now, you hear me?"</p>
<p>Wilbur nodded, "I know, I'm sorry, could you at least let him go first?  I promise he won't do anything, he wouldn't even know how."</p>
<p>Techno looked like he was about to argue but the king cut him off with a wave, so Techno begrudgingly let him go.  Tommy immediately scrambled to get behind Wilbur, who first pulled him into a quick hug.  After he let go Tommy got behind his back, peeking out to glare at the two in front of them, and Wilbur kept a protective hand on him.</p>
<p>"Explain.  Now."</p>
<p>Wilbur sighed, "Listen, Tommy is my friend.  We met years ago, but just recently he...his situation changed.  He lost his home, so he came here.  I let him stay cause he's like a fucking brother to me and I didn't care if it would get me in trouble!  So go on, shout at me, not him."  Tommy started some sort of retort but Wilbur whipped around quickly to shut him off.  "You stay quiet.  If you had just stayed in my room!  Ugh, just, stay quiet."</p>
<p>The king and Techno were both staring at them.  The king was more looking at Tommy, as if inspecting every part of him as a person.  Techno seemed more focused on Wilbur, who kept his head high and readied himself for whatever punishment was to come.  Eventually, after what felt like forever, the king finally spoke up.</p>
<p>"How long has he been here?"</p>
<p>"About two weeks.  We wanted to come up with a plan for other places he could go but there wasn't enough time-"</p>
<p>"You're sure he has nowhere else?"</p>
<p>"Not that we've figured out.  Even if we did, nothing would be good."</p>
<p>The silence seemed to kill them all.  It weighed down on each of them in different ways.</p>
<p>"Then it's settled."</p>
<p>All eyes turned to the king.</p>
<p>"He's staying here."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for not posting lol but here's a chapter.  It's a pretty nice preview of sort of what's to come.  Hope you're all enjoying the story so far!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy remembers his first meeting with Technoblade and gets into some trouble with Wilbur</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tommy was sat with Wilbur on the latter's bed, listening to him strum away at his guitar as Tommy mindlessly flipped through some books, not really understanding what any of them were saying but enjoying it nonetheless.  It was fairly late in the afternoon and Wilbur had finished his studies for the day, so they were really just trying to pass time before dinner.  Tommy still couldn't get over the meals in this place.</p>
<p>It had been just about a week now since the king (or Phil, as he liked to be called, apparently) learned of Tommy's existence, and Tommy was still not at all used to it.  He no longer had to stay in Wilbur's room (but still slept in there at both of their request) and had the time of his life running through the never ending halls and courtyards, but running into someone still felt like some sort of crime.  Especially the first time he ran into Techno, a few days ago.</p>
<p>Techno had been sparring against a dummy in what appeared to be some large training area, and Tommy had just happened to wander across it.  At first, he tried to sneak past so that he wouldn't have to deal with whatever Technoblade was like, but it turned out to be much harder to fool the greatest warrior in the kingdom than he thought.  It was as if Techno had heard him breathing, felt the vibrations of his silent footsteps and caught him within seconds, like a cat with a mouse.  Tommy didn't appreciate that analogy, but it felt fitting.</p>
<p>After realizing that it was just the new boy they had for some reason taken in, Techno dropped Tommy and moved back to his sparring area, taking a seat on a bench and motioning Tommy to join him.  Tommy did, maybe a bit too eagerly, and waited for Techno to say whatever it was he wanted to say.  He doubted Techno was the kind of person to keep him around just for small talk.</p>
<p>"How did you get here, kid?  Really, how did you make it this far?  You're what, ten?  I started training for battle when I was eight, not that I actually took it seriously back then but I knew how to hold a sword, but never would have I been able to sneak into this castle completely unharmed and unrecognized.  Do you even have any training?  I've been thinking about this for awhile, I'd like to know."</p>
<p>"I'm thirteen, thank you very much."  Tommy grumbled, crossing his arms and trying to appear smug, clearly enjoying whatever sort of weird praise this was.</p>
<p>"Oh, I'm sorry, what a big man."  The sarcasm was dripping from Techno's tone, which Tommy took great offense to.</p>
<p>"I am a big man!  You said it yourself, I managed to sneak in here all by myself completely undetected!  Pretty impressive, wouldn't you say?"</p>
<p>Techno glanced down at him with a glare.  "Impressive isn't the word I would use.  How did you know how to do that?"</p>
<p>After that, Tommy quickly realized this wasn't the congratulating he thought it was.</p>
<p>This was an interrogation.  </p>
<p>"Wilbur taught me.  I also had to use my amazing skills, in fact I'd say it was actually more me than Wilbur.  He just gave me the route.  Yeah, mostly me, I'd say."</p>
<p>"Sure it was."  </p>
<p>They sat in silence for a minute or two before Tommy had enough.</p>
<p>"What is it with you?  Why're you so distant?  Really, how the hell are you even brothers with Wilbur?  I would've beat 'im up before I befriended him if 'e were like you."</p>
<p>Techno glanced at the child, refusing to respond.  Tommy huffed and stood up, starting to shout at Techno as he walked away.  Techno watched him go, waiting until the yelling was out of earshot before he got up and resumed his training.  </p>
<p>He had lots of questions about that boy, but he figured they would only get answered with time.</p>
<p>Now, though, Tommy rolled onto his back and stared at Wilbur, tossing his book to the side and waving uselessly at the guitar until Wilbur stopped and turned to him.</p>
<p>"Yes, gremlin?"</p>
<p>"Shut up.  When's dinner?"</p>
<p>"Another 30 minutes, probably.  If you're really hungry-"</p>
<p>"I'm fine.  Just asking. Go back to your silly little instrument."</p>
<p>"I was gonna say we could go steal some food from the kitchen, but fine.  I'll just go back to my silly little instrument."</p>
<p>Tommy sat up, but Wilbur ignored him.  He reached out a hand and placed it on the guitar's fretboard, effectively silencing the instrument and annoying Wilbur.</p>
<p>"You speak my language, your princelyhood."</p>
<p>The two grinned at each other, and in a flash were racing one another to the door, down the halls, and straight to the kitchen.  Wilbur instructed Tommy to go in and take the food, since he was small and would likely be ignored by the chefs, and Wilbur would take the food Tommy gave to him and get it away.</p>
<p>Tommy was like a rat scampering through the kitchen, grabbing freshly baked bread rolls and a strainer of pasta, a jar of red sauce, and even a bowl of melted chocolate that was sitting next to a stove top.  He passed everything off to Wilbur one by one before going back for more, until he felt a hand on his shoulder that stopped him so fast he nearly toppled over.  He whipped around and came face to face with someone who looked to be the head chef.  The chef looked him up and down, clearly furious, and in a second was shouting expletives and wrestling the food out of Tommy's arms.  Tommy, being Tommy, shouted back, but he wasn't able to do much as the man grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out of the kitchen, yelling all about what the king would do to him and his punishment for getting caught in here.</p>
<p>When the chef reached the kitchen's exit they were both immediately met by Wilbur, who currently had a strawberry in his mouth and was staring wide eyed at the chef and Tommy.  He swallowed quickly and grabbed Tommy away from the man, who was staring just as hard back at the prince.</p>
<p>"Oh, there you are Tommy!  Been looking for you, haha!  Nice to see you again Mr. Chef Man, this is my new brother!  Didn't you hear?  You should've.  Anyways gotta go but nice to see you, c'mon Tommy!"  </p>
<p>Tommy felt himself transfer from the chef's hold to Wilbur's, now being dragged back the way they came through the hallways until they reached Wilbur's room, where Tommy saw all the foods they had managed to steal lying on Wilbur's desk.  He laughed maniacally.  They both grabbed different small meals and Wilbur took a seat at his desk, leaning back and digging into the pasta, of course after pouring tomato sauce all over it.  Tommy jumped up onto the massive bed, holding three bread rolls in his arms.</p>
<p>"If you get crumbs on my bed I'm calling the guards,"  Wilbur said jokingly through a mouth full of pasta.  Tommy stuck his tongue out and bit into his first roll.</p>
<p>Right then, there was a booming knock at the door that quickly silenced both boys.  Wilbur quickly placed his food to the side and gestured for Tommy to do the same as he ran for the door.  He swung it open just as Tommy put the bread rolls behind his back, and in front of them a guard Tommy was certain was twice as tall as him loomed in the doorway.</p>
<p>"Prince Wilbur, commoner Tom,"  The guard gave a nod.  </p>
<p>Tommy glared at the guard and yelled, "It's Tommy!"  The guard made no acknowledgement toward him.</p>
<p>"Prince Wilbur, your father wants to speak with you.  Both of you."</p>
<p>With that, the guard turned and left the two to stare at each other, fear seeping into them.  With one more bite from his bread roll, Tommy joined Wilbur at the door and the two began their walk to the throne room.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tommy and Wilbur deal with the consequences of their own actions.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What the hell were you thinking?!"</p><p>Tommy and Wilbur stood watching the floor while Phil shouted at both of them.  Turns out that despite the appearance of one of the princes, the chef still snitched on them to the king about stealing food.  At first, Tommy was terrified that he was going to be kicked out, or even imprisoned, for this, but it turned out to be far easier to convince everyone that this wasn't his idea than he thought.  Apparently, the reason for that was because this wasn't Wilbur's first time robbing the kitchen.  Tommy laughed loudly at that, but no one else seemed at all amused and his laughter was quickly silenced.</p><p>"Seriously, I thought you had grown out of this!  When will you learn?!  You can't get away with anything you want, there are rules you have to follow!  Why can't you just act like a prince?  Do I need to put you into social training like you're ten years old again?"</p><p>If the stare Wilbur gave him was anything to go off of, Tommy figured it would be better to just let the king yell as much as he wanted rather than try to interject and defend themselves.</p><p>"Half an hour!  Could you seriously not have waited?  Were you going to starve if you didn't turn to thievery?  Does that make this my fault?"  Phil paused between each question, but neither of the boys dared to try and answer him.</p><p>"What do you even have to say for yourselves?"</p><p>Tommy and Wilbur glanced at each other.  Wilbur clearly wasn't going to say anything, just accept punishment.  Tommy was not so well trained.</p><p>"I was hungry."  He mumbled, causing the other two to stare at him with wide eyes.  Tommy gulped, but held his ground.</p><p>"Repeat that."  Phil's voice was stone cold.</p><p>"I was hungry," Tommy repeated,  "Wilbur put out the idea because I said I was hungry.  And maybe I was a little scared, 'cause I come from a place where I was hungry a lot."  Tommy paused, looking around.  He was starting to realize that maybe he should've just stayed quiet, but it was too late now.  Wilbur and Phil were staring at him expectantly, even a little sadly.  So he continued.  "Maybe if you actually cared enough about your kingdom so that there weren't kids who do have to steal to eat, then maybe we could've just waited."</p><p>Phil was still staring at him, but it wasn't an angry gaze.  Not anymore, at least.  The room was silent, and Tommy desperately hoped someone else talked before he did.</p><p>"Dinner is in ten minutes."</p><p>Wilbur and Tommy both looked up.  Like the roles had reversed, now it was Phil who was looked at the floor with his brows furrowed.</p><p>"If you're still hungry, come back down."</p><p>Phil stretched his wings briefly, and then pushed through them and left the room.  Wilbur and Tommy stared at each other, wondering what had just happened.  Not wanting to push their luck, they decided not to wait around and made their way back to Wilbur's room.</p><p>"Hey, Tommy?"  </p><p>Tommy looked up.  Him and Wilbur were getting ready to leave the room again and go get some real dinner now.  After being berated by the king, the food they had stolen had grown cold.  He wondered what the other wanted.</p><p>"Did you mean it?"</p><p>"What're you talking about Big Man?"</p><p>"You said you were scared.  Was that real?  I know you said your family wasn't well off, but..."</p><p>"Don't worry about it Wilbur, I'm fine.  Yeah, we struggled with some things, but it's all good now!  Why would I ever be scared of not having food in the damn castle?  There'd have to be an apocalypse before we're not being fed in here.  I just wanted him to feel bad, so he'd let us go.  It worked, didn't it?" Maybe he spoke just a bit too quickly.</p><p>Wilbur looked at him a bit longer, clearly not very convinced.  </p><p>"Tommy?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"You know you're like a brother to me, right?"</p><p>"Yeah..."</p><p>Finally, Wilbur dropped the conversation so they could actually go eat.</p><p>The dining hall was tense.  It was a single large table in an even larger room that sat the entire royal family, plus an extra seat that had been dragged over for Tommy.</p><p>Two guards were stationed at each door (there were three doors in total) like statues, unmoving.  There was some furniture placed around the edges of the room (Tommy was almost certain none of it had ever been used).  On the ceiling, there were three chandeliers in the same style as the ones in the throne room, set up in a triangle formation over their heads.</p><p>The table was far bigger than it needed to be, but it was still completely filled with options of things to eat.  Tommy had a hard time trying to find a place just to rest his elbows, and when he did Wilbur swatted them off the table, muttering something about manners.  It made Tommy scoff, but he didn't say anything because Phil was staring at him and he didn't want to make a scene, especially after what had happened.</p><p>The room was silent as they ate, and Tommy desperately wanted to strike up a conversation to fill it.  No one seemed willing to engage in that conversation, no matter how many hopeless sentence starters he tossed around.  Usually, there was at least some sort of small conversation floating around the table, but now it was nothing but tense.</p><p>"Alright, I'm done with this.  What the hell is wrong with you people?  Wilbur and I did something that he's done before, do you really have to act like mortal enemies for it?"</p><p>"Tommy."  </p><p>"Shut it Wil.  Unless you would like to contribute to the conversation?  I'm getting shaky just feeling how fucking uptight it is in here.  How was your day?  What royal bullshit did you accomplish?  How are those useless studies going?  Hm?  Anyone?"</p><p>"Wilbur, of all the insolent street rats you could've dragged in here and adopted why did it have to be him?"  Techno spoke, not looking up from his food but his face clearly strained.</p><p>"Hey!  I'm not a fuckin' street rat!"</p><p>"Boys."  </p><p>Everyone looked over at Phil, including Wilbur, who had his head in his hands as he listened to the bickering.</p><p>"Try to get along."  Phil seemed tired.  Tommy and Techno glared at each other, but went back to eating.  To Tommy's delight, a light discussion arose after a few minutes and lasted until everyone was dismissed.</p><p>After, Tommy and Wilbur were ordered to return the food they had stolen.  Tommy grumbled about it the entire time.  Finally, they were able to turn in for the night, and Tommy was able to listen to Wilbur strum his guitar softly in the dark room, beyond glad that the day was finally over.</p>
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